Oil space heating pollutes the air more than the local fossil-fueled electric company

Journal Article · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1984 · Mater. Soc.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5042742

O'Neal, Jr, A J; Chandler, E; Dew, H H

This study was performed in an area of Long Island, New York which is nearly isolated from other populated regions except from due west, it has a high population density, it has fossil-fueled electric power plants with no stack-gas scrubbers, the principal space-heating fuel is sulfur-bearing oil for both residential and commercial electric company customers, and it contains a very accurate and precise sulfur dioxide monitoring network which tracks the quality of community air. Four consecutive years of data are examined by comparing power company sulfur dioxide emissions, and those roof-top sulfur dioxide emissions from community oil-fired space heaters, with degree of pollution in community air. These relationships are graphically displayed along with a statistical analysis of all the data. Authors find that oil-heated electric company customers put more sulfur dioxide into community air than does their local power company. Thus, the citizenry would enjoy a higher quality breathing air if it switched to sulfur-free space heating energy. A second conclusion is that the community air would improve in quality if all the oil-heated homes were to switch to electric heat, even if that extra electricity were generated from high-sulfur fossil fuels, without stack-gas scrubbers. 13 notes and references, 8 figures, 2 tables.

• Research Organization: Long Island Lighting Co., Hicksville, NY
• OSTI ID: 5042742
• Journal Information: Mater. Soc.; (United States), Journal Name: Mater. Soc.; (United States) Vol. 8:1; ISSN MSOCD
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS
200202* -- Fossil-Fueled Power Plants-- Waste Management-- Noxious Gas & Particulate Emissions
29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
290300 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Environment
Health
& Safety
296001 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Electric Power Generation-- (-1989)
500200 -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AIR POLLUTION
CHALCOGENIDES
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
FOSSIL-FUEL POWER PLANTS
FURNACES
HEATING
MONITORING
OIL FURNACES
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
POWER PLANTS
SPACE HEATING
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SULFUR DIOXIDE
SULFUR OXIDES
THERMAL POWER PLANTS